


Ghosts of Eve

by Windona



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Mentions of Death, mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-18
Updated: 2015-03-18
Packaged: 2018-03-18 05:05:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3557117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Windona/pseuds/Windona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Memories of the past have a habit of affecting the present.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ghosts of Eve

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the community](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=the+community).



> Prompt: Darth Vader finds himself thinking of the specific ways the three women who had been most important in Anakin Skywalker's life (Shmi, Padmé, Ahsoka) would hate him.

She reminds him of his mother.

Normally Vader has no qualms, or little enough that they can be crushed with anger as Palpatine taught him. This rebel should be no different; a traitor who pretended to work in the Senate to fight corruption secretly being corrupted by the ideals of insurrection should provoke more than enough anger. The fact that she holds vital information for the safety of those personnel on this battle station should only compound his desires for results.

Yet the way her mouth twists, eyes shut, and body twitches in pain under the tender care of the interrogation droid brings him back some memories from twenty two years ago, to a poorly lit tent and the feel of Tatooine's sand on his skin. There was cracked bleeding skin bruises and pain and anger and-

It is perfectly clear that despite her pain, the Princess and Senator will not let any information pass her lips soon. It will take several more hours before he could even hope to hear anything other than the usual name, rank, and serial number equivalent.

He walks out, and tells the stormtroopers to halt the proceedings. “Let the drugs begin to wash out of her system, and then start it up again later. Give her enough water to allow her to speak, but no more. I shall be back soon.”

The stormtroopers' shock at the Princess' brief reprieve echoes in the Force, but they do as they are told. No matter what, nobody is going to come to her aid this time.

_Ani, the biggest problem in this galaxy is that nobody helps anyone else. But if we help people with no expectation of reward, then we make this galaxy a better place one person at a time._

When the stormtrooper squad searching for the stolen data reports the death of the Larses, Vader swears he can hear his mother weep. It matters little; he has not been known as Skywalker in years, and does not care to inform people of his past.

***

The dim lighting and fog of the carbonite freezing chamber prevents him from truly seeing his son's face, but mere sight is not necessary.

His presence swirls in the Force, drawing Vader in like an addict. The boy's swings are crude, his abilities rusty, yet Vader feels that the boy has yet to truly tap his potential. Directing the battle like he used to do when sparring with Ahsoka, he uses the fight to subtly make the boy see his flaws in his form. Luke improves and corrects rapidly.

Vader senses that while this is exhilarating, it should come to an end soon. The longer the fight, the more likely Luke is to slip up, or have a chance to escape; that cannot be allowed. While his plan to freeze Luke in carbonite failed in a marvelous way, he does have a backup plan. The only way this reunion could be better would be if his son came with him out of his own volition. No lies, no trickery; only father and son, side by side. As it should be.

The spar moves to a catwalk, and Vader grins. He can trap his son at the end, and capture him. He can make him understand, show him that it was all for him. If Luke is anything like his father, surely he will realize the strength of their bond, and how much his father cares for him. When the boy realizes how Obi-Wan lied and betrayed him, surely he will follow the one bond that can never be broken, that guarantees that those tied by it never betray each other: that of blood.

He realizes, of course, that lies are hard to shake off. That the Jedi's hold might not disintegrate at a touch. Yet as he watches his son shake his head, eyes wide, Anakin only has a flash of remembering a young Togruta betrayed by everything she thought to be true as warning for what Luke was about to do.

Seeing the small figure fall down of his own free will, Anakin cannot help but feel his heart break again. I can't protect him if he goes. Why did she jump? He's on Bespin and Coruscant (Imperial Center he mentally corrects) and just knowing that because they jumped their fate will be that much worse once brought before their masters.

But this time it is so much worse. Ahsoka merely acknowledged that the Jedi were too corrupt to listen to an innocent voice. She trusted Anakin. Luke rejected him, personally. As he goes to the Executor, and reaches out with the Force, he begs Luke to join him. To come back. To acknowledge the truth and go where he belongs to fill the empty void, to feel complete and-

He feels his son slip away. He goes back to his chamber, and pulls out a braid with beads on it. Counting the beads with his mechanical hand, Vader does not need to wonder if Ahsoka would have abandoned him had she been in his son's situation. He vaguely wonders what she thinks of the news on the holonet, or if she made the connection between the pilot who destroyed the Death Star and her teacher. For the first time in years, Vader remembers what despair means.

***

He did not believe Palpatine when his master said that Luke would come. Luke made his opinions of his heritage perfectly clear a year earlier. Yet the Force does not lie, and Vader can feel that addictive presence once more, much more serene but still determined. From what Vader can sense, Luke is not coming with malicious intent. He has made a decision, and is set in his choice.

Cautiously, he lets a bit of hope bubble up inside his chest. Maybe his son will come with him, and maybe he can finally stand proud with his family for all the galaxy to see.

But when he arrives, Luke makes it clear that he is not there to stand by his father's side. Does he not understand that Vader must obey his master? That Vader is trapped in this hellish existence, and can not help him? Maybe if they work together and overthrow Palpatine- but no, that will never happen. Luke says so, and Vader believes him.

Yet maybe Vader has one last chance to make up for his long list of failures. He tells Luke to give up on him; the undutiful son, the unskilled mentor, the poor lover, the absent father. He asks Luke to give up on the dream of his father, for that had already turned to ash. After all, another had asked for him to follow them and leave this madness, but the years had not made him any better at listening. He can live without that swirling addictive presence if it means his son is safe.

Although Luke had his father's eyes, his expression was uncannily like Padme's was as she choked.

***

The cool air cycles through his respirator, and Vader stands like a statue. His master is talking, but Vader is barely paying attention. All his focus is on his son- how Luke's hands clench as he looks out the viewport, the waves of calm being worn away by rage- and Vader knows he can do nothing. Finally, Luke strikes at the Emperor and Vader blocks it. After all, he needs to protect his _son_ /master from the _dark side_ /Jedi.

Luke has improved in his lightsaber skills, Vader notes with pride. His son is angry - good. The only way to save him now is the darkness.

Pressing, Vader brushes against Luke's mind through their bond, feeling his thoughts. He cares about his friends, about - his sister. Luke has a sister. A sister who would probably have her mother's hair and eyes and- oh.

A sister he once had at his mercy, yet had not acknowledged the way her features resembled her mother or grandmother.

The fury with which Luke strikes at Vader after hearing his threat was astounding. Luke's features resemble Padme in the heat of an argument, Shmi right after seeing her son whipped, and Ahsoka while dueling on Mortis. It is fierce, it is dark, and it is what he never/always wanted, for his son to give in to his anger and hatred.

When Luke stands above him, having cut off his hand, Vader knows what is coming. Judgment for his dark deeds as Palpatine's enforcer. Judgment for hurting Padme.

So it is a great surprise that he hears the hiss of a deactivating lightsaber, and sees Luke throw his weapon to the side. It is an even greater surprise that he hears his son's words: “For I am a Jedi, like my father before me.”

Something sparks within him. He lumbers up, and walks over to stand next to the Emperor. Luke is crying, and there is smoke and sizzling flesh and he is standing by and doing nothing when-

“Father, please!”

It is the same plea as Ahsoka gave when proclaiming her innocence in that tunnel, asking Anakin to trust her. It is Shmi asking her son to be careful, to not die and break her heart.

It is Padme saying that he is breaking her heart and to come back to her.

Seeing his son sizzling, Anakin does the only thing he can- he grabs the old man and throws him down a reactor shaft. It is neither elegant nor skillful, but it is the only thing he can do. The Sith lightning cascades through his suit and blows a fuse or few in his respirator, sizzling flesh and warming up metal. He collapses after throwing Palpatine to his death, and his breathing becomes labored. His time is at an end.

It matters little.

Vaguely, he feels like he is being dragged. Focus comes back to him to realize his son's dogged determination to save his father's life. Anakin knows the truth- this is the end of his story. Nothing can stop him from dying, and he is at peace with that.

Anakin stops Luke, and gives his request for his mask to be taken off. Gazing up into his son's eyes, he notes how bright and intense the blue is. His son has his wife and mother's kindness to soften them, making the intense light one of great concern and care. He longs to reach out to his son, and give a gentle touch, but Anakin knows he has no right to be greedy. Not now.

He knows how hard the loss of a loved one was, especially when they die in front of you. Knowing how badly he would have handled such a loss a quarter of a century ago, Anakin reassures Luke. He makes sure his son knows that he succeeded, that he has done something great and amazing and does not need to do more to never fail again. He tries to use the Force to emphasize what words will fail to do, but Anakin knows his limits. He also knows that Luke has a strength of character that will help him through this.

Anakin wishes he can do more to help his son, but accepts that there are some things he cannot do. Vision fading and heart stopping, Anakin lets go.

He finally truly understands what his mother's last words meant. Now, as he becomes one with the Force, he is complete.


End file.
